Covenant
by Sin Oan
Summary: Suiseiseki must adjust to life now that she has Jun as her Medium. Inspired by the character Drama CD. Possibly some minor Jun x Suiseiseki.
1. Suiseiseki and her Medium

I'm back! I took a break from writing Rozen Maiden for a while, but I aim to get my ongoing fics finished. I'm a little bit rusty though, so I'm doing this first as some practice.

What is this? Well it turns out there were a bunch of Drama CD's released for Rozen Maiden. These were never released in English though, only Japanese. However I was able to find Spanish transcripts of those Drama CD's online. By running them through a translator I can get a badly mangled English transcript. Using that, I hope to write an English version fic based on the original character drama CD's. It takes time though, and the only one I have translated so far is Vol.3 - Suiseiseki's episode.

This fic is therefore based on her drama CD. I think it takes place the morning after episode 4 of Traumend, which was the episode where Suiseiseki made Jun her Medium. I will do my best to keep it faithful to the drama it's based on, but I will probably adlib a lot to try and get it to make sense. It will likely contain mild Suiseiseki x Jun shipping moments, but nothing major. If this fic goes well, I might do similar fics for the other character episodes as well. So let me know what you think! Here is part one. I _think_ this story will contain six parts/chapters altogether.

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><p><strong>Covenant<strong>

Part 1

Suiseiseki and her Medium

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><p>BEEP-BEEP-BEEP-BEEP!<p>

Suiseiseki's mismatching eyes fluttered open and she groaned, rousing from a deep sleep and some very pleasant dreams. Something was making a dreadful din, an electronic racket that insisted she wake up. The Gardener doll pressed a hand against the side of her head and moaned.

"What a terrible noise ..." She blinked several times then opened her eyes fully to see where she was. To her astonishment she was _not_ inside her case where she should be. No, in fact she had actually fallen asleep somewhere else. With a dawning sense of horror, Suiseiseki realized that the soft warm thing she was lying on was actually _Jun_. She had fallen asleep against him. She was even on his _bed_.

"Wah?" She gasped, staring at the slumbering human whilst his alarm clock continued to shriek in the background. How? Why? What the heck was she doing sleeping with Jun? She clapped her hands to her face and almost shrieked at the horror of the situation. "Ahhh! Why am I ... what am I doing in the runt's bed? What was I doing sleeping with him? How could things have gone so far?"

Jun continued to snooze despite her frantic monologue and the persistent alarm clock that only served to add fuel to the fire of Suiseiseki's panic. It was true, Jun _was_ her Medium now, but that didn't mean ... it wasn't as if ... it was just a contract! It didn't mean they were married or anything! So what was she doing with him?

"Huh? Oh, that's right!" She grabbed a hold of the book that had slipped from Jun's grasp. It was his algebra homework. Now she remembered - Jun had read it to her last night. A bedtime story, just like Grandfather used to do for her. They both must have nodded off together, Suiseiseki curled up in Jun's lap. This realization almost helped her to calm down, but the stupid alarm clock was still grating on her nerves.

"That damn thing!" she growled, "It's so pissing me off! How do I stop it?"

She tried and failed to get the thing to stop. How _it_ had failed to wake Jun up she had no idea, but presumably he knew how to shut the damned thing off. Suiseiseki grabbed a hold of the sleeping boy and shook him frantically.

"Come on you! Wake up right now and stop this infernal noise!" she yelled. Jun groaned and mumbled something, but continued to sleep. Unbelievable. Narrowing her eyes, Suiseiseki took a hold of a single hair on Jun's head and plucked it out. The sharp pain this caused finally jerked him awake, and he groggily blinked his wide brown eyes at her.

"Huh? Sui ... Suiseiseki?"

"Finally!" she waved her arms at him. "I only went to the trouble of personally waking you up."

Jun focused his gaze on her and frowned, momentarily confused. "Wait, what are you doing here?" he asked. Suiseiseki gawped at him in amazement.

"Wha? What did you say? I so don't believe it! You've forgotten already that you entered into a covenant with me!" The little doll reached forwards and started attacking Jun, swiping at him with her tiny hands. Jun raised his own hands in an effort to defend himself.

"Ouch! Hey, stop that!"

"Shut up! You so deserve this, you puny no-good runt, you!"

The combined noise of boy, doll and alarm clock finally awoke the rooms other inhabitants. Shinku's case swung open and the blond doll sat up, before casting an irate glance in their direction.

"What a frightful scandal," she protested in her usual rich tones, "And so early in the morning as well."

Hinaichigo opened her case up and pressed her hands to the side of her head in protest at the commotion. "Why is it so loud? Hina can't sleep with all this noise ..."

Jun finally managed to hold Suiseiseki at a reasonably safe distance so that her short arms could no longer strike him. He barred his teeth in annoyance at her behaviour. "Cut it out! I remember, okay? Damned if I know _why_ I made a covenant with you though." He finally turned his alarm clock off and picked up his algebra textbook, while Suiseiseki hopped down off his bed and folded her arms.

"I would have thought that was obvious; I - the one and only Suiseiseki - am amazing of course. Why else would you want to be my obedient servant and pledge your undying allegiance to me?"

"Huh?" Jun rubbed the side of his head, "I don't remember doing _that!_"

Before she could snap off a reply, they all heard Nori shout up to them from downstairs, informing them that breakfast was ready. Grumbling and muttering to himself, Jun opened the bedroom door and headed down, Hinaichigo hurrying after him. Shinku stifled a yawn and strolled past Suiseiseki.

"Did you and Jun sleep well together last night?" she asked with a hint of coyness as she swept past. Suiseiseki turned bright red and shook, but Shinku was gone before she could think of a suitable answer.

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><p>"Suiseiseki, please make yourself at home and feel free to eat whatever you want, m'kay?" Nori said cheerfully. Today was Suiseiseki's first day living at the Sakurada house since she had reunited with her twin and moved out to stay with the Shibasaki's last year, and Nori was determined to welcome her back.<p>

"You don't need to tell me," Suiseiseki replied as she eyed up the fried egg and bacon breakfast laid out before her, "Now that Jun is my Medium everything that belongs to him also belongs to me as well. Isn't that right, Shinku?"

"Like hell!" Jun snapped before Shinku could answer, "This is _my_ house, and my things are _mine_, you got that? Don't go getting ideas just because I'm your Medium now."

Suiseiseki scoffed at him and turned her head away, as if the mere sight of him offended her. "I am so not listening to a word you say. Suiseiseki follows her own rules." She chuckled for a moment and then tucked into breakfast with a gusto.

Shinku watched her sister wolf down her food and winced. "Be that as it may, I would nevertheless appreciate it if you could eat in a less unseemly fashion - your table manners are appalling Suiseiseki."

The Gardener doll stopped momentarily and mumbled something to Shinku with her mouth crammed full, thus rendering her words unintelligible. Shinku sighed and bowed her head. Meanwhile Hinaichigo, seeing Jun's barely restrained anger, turned in her seat and gave Suiseiseki a pleading wide-eyed look.

"Please Suiseiseki! We depend on Jun and Nori, so you have to be nice to them and do what they say!"

Suiseiseki swallowed her food and then glared at the little blond doll, her eyes flashing dangerously. "Shut up you! You are so not my mother, so stop acting like you are, you puny dolt!" She brandished her fork and reached across the table, using it to spear one of Hina's fried eggs. She then sat back and stuffed the entire thing into her mouth, gobbling it down in the face of Hinaichigo's shocked disbelief.

"Aaaahhh!" Hina cried out, "Suiseiseki ate Hina's fried egg!"

Suiseiseki swallowed and then shrugged unapologetically. "The early bird catches the worm. And my, what a delicious worm indeed! Mmm-mmm!" she licked her lips in satisfaction. This drew a gasp from Nori, whose eye twitched slightly. A moment later Jun's sister exploded, shoving her chair back and slapping her hands down on the table, startling everyone present.

"Suiseiseki!" she yelled, causing the Gardener doll to jump in her seat.

"Ahh! W-what?"

Nori pointed her finger at Suiseiseki's nose in a scolding fashion, a deep scowl on her face. "Do not steal food from Hina's plate! You already have more than enough on your own."

Suiseiseki gaped at Nori in absolute fear, almost trembling in her chair. "B-but ..."

"Everyone should be treated as equals," Nori went on firmly, "That is a rule in this house."

"Equal?"

"Yes. Do you understand?"

Suiseiseki gulped and nodded hurriedly. "Yes! Understood!"

Nori's expression shifted from dark to sunny in a heartbeat, and she sat back down with a cheerful smile on her face once more. "Good. Now if you're hungry, just tell me; here, you can have one of my eggs."

Suiseiseki watched as Nori forked one of her fried eggs onto her plate. She mumbled a 'thank you Nori' and watched as the girl got up and took her plate over to the kitchen sink. Still eating her own breakfast, Shinku smirked slightly.

"Really now Suiseiseki, you should know better than to anger Nori."

Hinaichigo nodded enthusiastically. "When Nori gets angry, she's really _really_ scary!"

Suiseiseki let out a sigh of relief. "I so remember now. Nori is the true boss monkey of this house."

Jun swallowed a forkful of bacon and smirked at the frightened doll himself. "Well hopefully you've learned your lesson, and maybe now you'll show us humans a little more respect."

"What?" Suiseiseki glared at him. "Nori is one thing, but don't think for a second that I'm intimidated by a pathetic bumbling bumblehead like you!"

Jun lowered his fork a fraction. "What did you just say?"

Hinaichigo whined and covered her hands over her head. "Ohh, they're fighting again ..."

Shinku sniffed and turned her nose up at them all. "Let them. They are both equally childish."

Suiseiseki slammed her hands down on the table and stood up on her chair. "'Equally' my butt! As the greatest and most amazing of the Rozen Maidens I _so_ will not be compared with the likes of that runt! Honestly! I swear, I am so totally unappreciated in this house. None of you realize just how magnificent I truly am!" She hopped down out of her chair and strode off, muttering to herself.

None of them understood! But she would show them, oh yes! She'd show them all that Suiseiseki was not to be underestimated!


	2. Full of my Devotion

Part 2! Yeah, I realize this is hardly everyone's favourite pairing, it's just that this is the only character drama I've managed to translate yet. To make up for that, I'm going to let the readers decide which character I do next. Let me know which Rozen Maiden you want me to do after this, and I'll write a fic based on her drama CD when I finish this one. The only one I can't do is Kirakishou, as there was never a CD released for her, though one was released for Barasuishou. So let me know, okay?

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><p><strong>Covenant<strong>

Part 2

Full of my Devotion

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><p>Jun and Nori were out today, and both Shinku and Hinaichigo were upstairs. Thus Suiseiseki pretty much had the run of the house. Determined to prove how everyone - Jun in particular - were wrong about her, she was hard at work preparing to show them the error of their ways.<p>

She slipped the tray into the oven and closed it, before excitedly turning it on and setting the timer. Then she stood back and beamed at the kitchen appliance, hands on hips and a wide grin on her face. Contrary to expectations, she was not up to anything nefarious or devious. After all, that was the kind of behaviour they had all come to anticipate from her. But Suiseiseki was just as capable of being sweet and kind and generous. Jun would see that, just as soon as he tasted this wonderful batch of cupcakes that she was making especially for him.

"Jun will be so blown over when he tries my delicious scrumptious cupcakes!" she gushed happily to herself, "Tee-hee!" She turned and acted out the scene as she imagined it, first pretending to be herself presenting the finished sweets to Jun.

"Jun, please help yourself - I made these just for you!"

Then she turned around and pretended to be Jun, eating her fantastically delicious cupcakes.

"Amazing! These are really good Suiseiseki! I never imagined that you could do something as great as this, I guess it just goes to show how wrong I was about you!"

Turn, hands pressed to face, bashful smile.

"Oh Jun, it was nothing, really!" she giggled. She turned back and made a munching movement with her mouth, and then pretend swallowed.

"Mmmm! So sweet! Just like you, Suiseiseki! I'm so happy that I entered into a covenant with you, you're the best!"

She turned once more and clasped her hands together, blushing like a schoolgirl being complimented by the boy she has a crush on. "Jun, you shouldn't say such things, the others will so be jealous - AAAHHH!" Suiseiseki stopped her little mini-performance and almost jumped up to the ceiling as she realized that Souseiseki was standing a few feet away, watching her intently.

"Hello Suiseiseki," her twin said calmly. Suiseiseki gulped and stared at her.

"S-Souseiseki! W-w-when did you get here?"

"A few minutes ago."

Suiseiseki shot over to her twin and grabbed a hold of the front of her dress, clutching it tightly in her tiny hands and boring her eyes into her sister's own. "You so totally didn't see anything, okay? You didn't hear anything either! S-so don't say anything to anyone, you hear?"

Souseiseki hesitated for a moment. "Umm, okay, but ... why are you making sweets for Jun?"

Suiseiseki released her sister and watched her thoughtfully. "Is ... is there a problem with that?" she asked, somewhat nervous with apprehension in case Souseiseki were jealous. Her twin smiled and tilted her head slightly.

"No, I think it's a good idea. To be honest, I was a little worried you'd have trouble staying here."

Suiseiseki blinked. "Huh?"

"Well it's just that you can be quite shy and stubborn sometimes," her sister explained, "I was afraid you'd end up getting into fights with Jun and Shinku and the others. Seeing you now though, I'm a little relieved. You must be trying really hard to fit in and get along if you're making treats for your new Master."

Suiseiseki cast her mismatching gaze about and wrung her hands together. "It's not like ... I mean I so didn't do it because ... I-I mean I-"

Souseiseki sighed and closed her eyes for a moment. "Really Suiseiseki, you're so hopeless at expressing your feelings."

Suiseiseki blushed and turned away, gesturing to the oven in order to change the subject. "Well anyway, I finished preparing them, all I have to do is wait for them to bake and then they'll be ready!"

Her sister smiled at her back. "I'm sure they'll be delicious, and I have no doubt Jun will appreciate the effort."

"Argh!" Suiseiseki ground her teeth together and shook on the spot. "I didn't really make them for the puny runt! I ... I did it to put that pretentious bookworm Shinku in her place! That's right!"

"Shinku?" Souseiseki repeated dubiously. Suiseiseki turned to one side, her imagination running wild again.

"Uh-huh! Shinku is always so full of herself, but she couldn't cook or bake if her life depended on it! When she see's these wonderful delicious cupcakes I have made, she will so be in awe of me!" She spun around and struck a pose, this time putting on her best imitation of Shinku's haughty voice. "Oh Suiseiseki, I had no idea you were so talented - these truly are a culinary delight and no mistake. I see now that you are the most capable of the sisters, and I humbly apologize for treating you in such a condescending way. You are truly the most deserving of respect in this house. Can you ever forgive me for being such a horrid little sister?"

"Hey, that was pretty good ..." Souseiseki murmured, mildly impressed by the performance. Suiseiseki raised her arms triumphantly in the air.

"You see? With these treats I shall gain the respect I so rightfully deserve!"

Souseiseki frowned now, dubious once more. "I'm not so sure about that," she said, whilst her forcefully optimistic twin threw back her head and laughed confidently.

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><p>Since it would take some time for the cupcakes to finish baking in the oven, the twins decided to venture upstairs to see Shinku and Hinaichigo. As they approached the door to Jun's room, Suiseiseki noticed that it was ajar, and a moment later she slipped on something and fell flat on her back.<p>

"Waaah! Ouch!"

"Suiseiseki, are you okay?" Souseiseki hurried to her sister's side. She whimpered and rubbed her sore head, wincing.

"That hurt. What the heck did I trip on?" She reached around and pulled out a crayon from underneath herself, scowling at the thing as she held it up.

"I guess Hinaichigo must have left it there," Souseiseki suggested. Her sister snarled.

"I swear! That puny Ichigo is such a messy slob! Honestly!"

Souseiseki helped her twin up and took the crayon from her, staring at it sadly. "You're right; I keep telling her to tidy up when she's finished playing, but she never does."

They pushed their way into Jun's room and were even more vindicated to see that it was a complete and utter tip. Hinaichigo was lying on the floor scribbling with her crayons, which were scattered everywhere. There were stuffed animals and some of Jun's model cars lying about as well, and sheets of scribbled on paper all over the place. A complete mess, and Hinaichigo sat amidst it all humming cheerfully to herself.

Shinku was on Jun's bed, reading as usual, whilst Jun himself sat at his computer desk, pouring over a textbook. As Suiseiseki gaped at the untidy room, Souseiseki waved to everyone.

"Hello, Souseiseki," Shinku greeted her, glancing up from her book. Hinaichigo looked up as well and beamed to see her elder sister.

"Ah! Souseiseki's come over to visit again! Yay!" She jumped up and ran over to the doll in question, who smiled and handed her the crayon from outside in the hall. Jun turned around in his chair and glanced over at them, startling Suiseiseki, who hadn't noticed him at first.

"J-Jun! You're back already?"

"Yeah," he said tiredly, "Hi guys. Sorry I can't chat, I've got a lot of studying to do."

"That's okay," said Souseiseki, "I just came over to see if Suiseiseki was settling in alright."

Jun snorted and turned back to his textbook, not even bothering to respond to that. Suiseiseki wilted a little at his reaction, but inspiration struck as she regarded the messy room before her. Jun really hated it when the dolls made a mess, and puny Ichigo never tidied up after herself. So ... if _she_ made an effort and cleaned the room up, then surely Jun would be grateful, right?

_"Suiseiseki, what are you doing?"_ the imaginary Jun inside her head asked.

_"Oh nothing! Just tidying up a little!"_ came her imaginary reply.

_"Wow, hey, thanks. You know, Hinaichigo could learn a thing or two from you. You're so wonderful Suiseiseki, I'm really happy to be your Medium ..."_

_"Ahh!"_ cried imaginary Hina, _"Sorry Jun! Hina will follow Suiseiseki's example from now on and always tidy up after herself!"_

Suiseiseki stood clutching her face, giggling to herself as this little daydream played out inside her head. Meanwhile her twin sister watched her, slightly concerned.

"Hey, Jun - please can I have the thingy?" Hinaichigo asked, staring up at the boy. He nodded and wordlessly handed her an eraser, while Suiseiseki snapped out of her daydream and stared at them both.

"Thank you, Jun!"

Suiseiseki watched Hina return to her drawings, at a loss to explain how Jun knew what Hina had wanted despite her only describing it as 'thingy'. Her gaze shifted to Shinku, who got up and walked across the bed to Jun.

"Jun, pass me the you-know-what," the red doll commanded, extending her hand. Not even bothering to protest, Jun passed her a bookmark from his desk.

"Thank you."

"Welcome."

"Huh?" Suiseiseki gaped at Shinku as she sat back down again. She blinked and rubbed her eyes. "What was that?"

How did Jun know what Shinku had wanted? How had he known what Hina wanted for that matter? She strode over to Jun and pushed at his chair to get his attention, prompting him to peer down at her with an expression of mild annoyance.

"What?" he asked. Suiseiseki pointed accusingly at the two dolls.

"How ever did you know what they wanted from you? How could you possibly understand that Shinku wanted a bookmark when all she said was 'You-know-what'? Or that Hinaichigo wanted that eraser when she asked for a 'Thingy'?"

"Huh?" Jun scratched his head, perplexed by her bizarre question. Finally he just shrugged. "I don't know, I just did. When they ask for something, I guess I just know what they need."

She stood there in open-mouthed amazement as Jun returned to his studies. He just knew! Was this ... was this some kind of heart-to-heart communication? Suiseiseki had heard about how couples that grew close did similar things. Perhaps Jun's relationship with them had reached a level of unspoken understanding. They were so close with each other that they innately knew the other's desires. Incredible! But ... Jun was her Medium. They had a covenant. Surely she and Jun also shared such a bond? They must!

"Ahem!" Suiseiseki pushed at Jun's chair again. He sighed and glanced down at her once more.

"Yes, can I help you?"

Suiseiseki stared at him, straining with all her might to convey to him what she wanted through their unspoken bond. Jun stared back at her, and for a moment Suiseiseki was certain that it was working. And then:

"Err ... Suiseiseki, are you okay? Why are you making a funny face at me? Are you upset or something?"

Suiseiseki groaned. "N-no, not that ..." She pulled herself up to her full unimpressive height and redoubled her efforts, staring emphatically at Jun and endeavoring with all her might to make him understand what was in her heart. He must be able to sense it!

Jun rubbed the side of his head. "Uhh, Suiseiseki, why are you glaring at me like that? Did I do something wrong?"

She ground her teeth together in frustration and stamped her foot, her hands trembling at her sides. "I so do not get it - why can you not understand?"

"Understand what?" Jun asked, puzzled. She wailed at him.

"You understood what Shinku and Hina wanted without them having to tell you! Why can't you understand my desires as well? Aren't you listening?"

Jun's brow furrowed as he was completely at a loss to even understand Suiseiseki's spoken words, much less anything else. "What are you talking about? Why would I be able to? I'm not a mind reader."

"Yes, but-" She groaned in frustration once more, but this time lunged at Jun, hitting his legs with her tiny fists. "You're my Medium! You should be _able_ to! Why can't you-"

"Ouch! Quit hitting me!"

"-puny, stupid, good for nothing-"

"Stop that!"

She let all her pent up frustration and annoyance out on Jun's legs, but fortunately for him her punches were nowhere near as effective as her kicks and they did little more than prove a nuisance. Finally she turned away and ran out of the bedroom, leaving Jun to stare after her in utter bewilderment.

Souseiseki found her standing outside in the hallway, face buried in her hands and on the verge of tears. She put a comforting hand on her twin's shoulder. "Don't let it get to you," she said soothingly, "You only just moved back here, and Jun's only been your Medium for a day. Give it time Suiseiseki."

"But it's so frustrating!" she bit back, lowering her hands and glaring now at the opposite wall as her lip quivered, "He understands Shinku and that puny Ichigo. I just want Jun to know what's in my heart."

Souseiseki smiled wryly at her sister. "You could just tell him," she suggested. Suiseiseki shook her head emphatically, her expression one of pure sulk. Souseiseki was right - she _was_ shy, at least about certain things. She could loudly play a prank on one of her sisters, but there was no way she'd have the courage to outright tell Jun how she felt about him.

Before either of them could say anything further, they both heard the ping of the timer on the oven downstairs.

"Suiseiseki, your cupcakes are ready!"

They hurried to the kitchen and removed the tray from the piping hot oven, before setting it carefully down. The smell was pure heaven, and made their mouths water. The cupcakes looked perfect. Souseiseki beamed at her sister.

"They look delicious, don't you think?"

They did indeed, thought Suiseiseki happily. Perfect! With these treats that she'd made with all her heartfelt devotion, the bond between her heart and Jun's would surely flourish!


	3. Sweets

Short chapter here, but I'm using the same chapter breaks as in the script I'm basing this off and the third chapter is a short one. Also, I hope to get a chapter of Marchen uploaded sometime soon. In the meantime, please enjoy this!

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><p><strong>Covenant<strong>

Part 3

Sweets

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><p>Suiseiseki paced in front of the kitchen table in a deeply thoughtful pose. Her cupcakes were neatly laid out on a decorative plate in the middle of the table itself, the delicious smell filling the whole living room. She stopped pacing and frowned, a finger resting against her chin in contemplation.<p>

"Now how to tell Jun ..." she pondered, "'Hey, Jun! I ... uh, I just so happened to, y'know, make some cupcakes. Would you like some?'" she said aloud in practice, "'Why don't you give them a try?'"

"We should go and tell him while they're still warm," Souseiseki suggested. Her twin turned to her and bit her lip nervously, before nodding. Before they could do anything further however, the living room door was pushed open and Hinaichigo ran in, sniffing the air as she went.

"Something smells yummy, oh yeah!" she announced. She stopped and turned her wide green eyes on the cupcakes, her face lighting up at the sight of them. Shinku appeared at her side as she pointed towards them.

"Shinku, lookit! Cupcakes!"

"Indeed. Did you make them, Suiseiseki?" Shinku asked as Jun entered the living room behind them.

"Well I ... uh ..."

"Yay!" Hinaichigo ran to the table and clambered up into a chair, while Shinku moved to join her, flicking her hair as she went.

"Jun, make us some tea please."

"Yeah, yeah," Jun muttered as the two dolls began eating Suiseiseki's carefully prepared treats. She cried out in alarm as Hina bit into one and waved her hands frantically.

"Hey! Stop that you big goofball! Those aren't for you!" she shouted. Shinku paused, one of the cupcakes half raised to her mouth. She regarded her sister with a questioning gaze.

"Oh? Who are they for?"

Suiseiseki hesitated, a faint red blush spreading across her cheeks. Jun was filling the kettle with water from the sink. She whined a little. "Well I ... um, I ..." she saw Hinaichigo finish wolfing down one of the cupcakes and her embarrassment shifted to annoyance. Narrowing her eyes she jumped up onto the table and snatched a second cupcake from the little doll's hands. "Stop that! I didn't make any for you!"

"You're kidding?" Jun turned away from the sink and leaned on one of the counters. "You mean to say you made all those just for yourself?" he scoffed at her, "You really are a greedy little doll, Suiseiseki."

Suiseiseki balked at him, utterly knocked sideways by his harsh words, whilst Souseiseki extended a hand as if to stop him saying anything further. "No, you're wrong! She did this for-"

She was interrupted by her twin, who exploded with rage and hurled the confiscated cupcake directly at Jun. "Damn you, you stupid puny human, you!" She grabbed two more and hurled them at him as well, before jumping off the table and storming out of the living room, choking back thick sobs of grief and anguish. Souseiseki reached out to her as she ran past.

"Suiseiseki, wait!" she cried out in vain. Everyone else stared after the weeping doll, puzzled by her sudden breakdown. Jun wiped some frosting from his nose and rubbed his head in confusion.

"What the hell is her problem?" he wondered aloud. Shinku set her untouched cupcake down and bowed her head.

"You really are a fool, Jun."

He gaped at her. "Huh?"

Not bothering to clarify, Shinku slid off her chair and followed Souseiseki out of the room in pursuit of the upset Gardener doll. Jun sagged for a brief moment, not understanding anything that was going on, before going after them himself.

"Suiseiseki, stop!" her twin called after her, but it was no use. They just caught a glimpse of her vanishing into the storeroom with the mirror, and a moment later a bright white light splashed out of the open doorway. They reached the doorway just in time to see the light of the N-Field fade away.

Hinaichigo clung hold of Souseiseki and stared at the mirror, her mouth open. "Did Suiseiseki run away?" she asked. Souseiseki nodded and sighed.

"Yes, she's gone into the N-Field."

"Why the heck did she do that?" Jun demanded, bewildered by the doll's behaviour, "She's really overreacting, I mean I call her greedy all the time. She doesn't normally run off like that."

"It's because your brutish attitude upset the poor girl," Shinku scolded him. Before Jun could protest, Souseiseki explained, turning her mismatching eyes up to him.

"She made those cupcakes especially for you, Jun."

Jun's eyes went wide with amazement behind his glasses. "For _me?_"

Souseiseki nodded, her expression grim. "She wanted to fit in here and get along with you, because she cares for you a great deal. She just has trouble expressing her feelings. This was her way of telling you how much you mean to her."

Jun gaped at the little doll, utterly stunned by this revelation. He fell silent, at a loss for words and heavy with no small amount of guilt. He flinched as he remembered what he'd said to Suiseiseki before and realized how much his words must have hurt.

"No way ..." he murmured softly, his heart pained, "What did I do?"

Shinku strode towards the mirror and pressed her hand against its polished surface. "There's only one thing for it Jun - you shall have to find Suiseiseki and apologize. As her Medium it is your duty to cultivate a favourable relationship with the doll you are joined with. Instead you have angered and upset her. It is therefore your responsibility to set things right."

Hinaichigo tugged at Souseiseki's sleeve and whimpered slightly. "Is Suiseiseki going to be okay going alone into the N-Field?"

Souseiseki frowned, a troubling thought crossing her mind. "Perhaps ... but I'm concerned that Barasuishou might find her. If she finds Suiseiseki first, there's no telling what might happen ..."

"Especially without her Medium to protect her," Shinku added pointedly, glaring at Jun. He flushed with a fresh wave of guilt and rolled his eyes.

"Fine, I get it already - I'll go and find her."

He just hoped that he would be the one to find her first. If Barasuishou got to her instead ... if anything happened to her ... it didn't bear thinking about.


	4. Hearts That Try to Understand

Another part. I'm going to try and get this finished up soon. Special thanks to Destany Angel for reviewing! Really _really_ appreciate it. Hope this chapter is okay. It feels a bit muddled to me, but what the heck.

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><p><strong>Covenant<strong>

Part 4

Hearts That Try to Understand

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><p>"Suiseiseki!" Hinaichigo called out, tiny hands cupped around her mouth in what was presumably an attempt to increase the volume of her voice, "I'll give you chocolate if you come out!"<p>

They had followed the upset doll into the N-Field, only to discover themselves in a dark and ominous forest. The air was heavy and oppressive, no doubt reflecting Suiseiseki's inner turmoil. Fireflies danced lazily around Jun and the dolls as they searched for some sign of the missing sister. It was ... well, spooky. Every shadow seemed to promise something terrible lurking in wait for them.

"She can't have got far," Souseiseki observed, peering through the foliage for some sign of her twin. Shinku stopped and glanced at Jun.

"Indeed. And what do you intend to do when we find her, may I ask?"

Jun stopped his own search efforts as well and rounded on her, frowning. "Huh? I'll ... I'll apologize of course."

Shinku did not seem satisfied however. "But if nothing changes between you, if your relationship with each other remains the same, these events are sure to repeat themselves."

Jun wilted and muttered under his breath. "D'you have to use the word 'relationship' ..."

"It is essential," Shinku continued, oblivious to his remark, "that you learn to understand what is in each others heart. Only then will you be able to live together in harmony."

Jun had to resist the urge to scoff at that. Harmony? Yeah right. He didn't live in harmony with _any_ of the dolls, much less _Suiseiseki_. How could he possibly understand her feelings when she wouldn't open up to him? And it wasn't just his fault. Suiseiseki hardly made things easy by constantly insulting him and picking fights with him.

_But aren't I the same way?_

He sort of was. Much as he hated to admit it, they were both as bad as each other. The thing was, Suiseiseki had made an effort to change that by making him cupcakes, and he'd blindly thrown that gesture back in her face. Shinku was right, just apologizing wouldn't be enough. But before he did anything, he still had to find her ...

* * *

><p>Suiseiseki staggered to a stop and dropped herself down on the ground, eyes staring off into the distance. She'd been so stupid, running off all alone like that. Now she was hopelessly lost and yes, alone. Very much so. If anything happened to her, there'd be no one to help her out.<p>

"Aaahh!" she cried out as something near her moved, making a stealthy rustling sound. To her immense relief it was only some dead branches and leaves sliding off a nearby tree. Putting a hand to her chest to calm her frayed nerves, Suiseiseki glared at the tree accusingly.

"Don't scare me like that!" she scolded the thing. Letting the anger she felt grow and simmer within her so as to replace her fear and anxiety, Suiseiseki clenched her hands tight and scowled, her thoughts drifting back to her sisters and that oh-so useless Medium of hers.

"They're all stupid!" she snapped aloud to no one but herself, "That puny runt doesn't even _try_ to understand my feelings. I never should have entered into a covenant with him."

Gritting her teeth, she got to her feet and glanced back the way she had come, eyes narrowed sharply as she thought back to Jun's insensitive words. "There's only one thing for it, I am _so_ going to end our contract together. There's just no way I'm going to have such a clueless hopeless spineless gutless hapless RUNT for a Master!"

She folded her arms and stamped her foot crossly, as if to emphasize her point to the surrounding forest and fireflies. "It is so much better to be alone! I don't need anyone else! I can live by myself, and eat all the fried eggs I want. Being alone isn't so ... being alone isn't ..." she trailed off, her anger quickly slipping away, replaced by the aching anxiety of loneliness once more. She lowered her arms and wilted. Who was she kidding? Being alone was _awful_.

What was she going to do?

Suiseiseki whimpered and glanced around at the eerie forest. "I wish Jun were here ..."

"Suiseiseki!"

Her eyes went wide. That was ... that was Jun's voice! Had she just imagined it?

"Jun?"

"Suiseiseki! Hey guys, I found her! Over here!"

She turned in the direction of his voice and, sure enough, there he was, stumbling through the brush towards her. One look at his face though sent a jumble of confused feelings shooting through her head, and before she knew it Suiseiseki was running in the opposite direction, thrashing past branches and tall grass in a bid to get away from her Medium.

"Hey! Wait up! Why are you running?" Jun called after her, sounding out of breath. Suiseiseki said nothing, concentrating instead on getting as far away from him as possible, despite the fact that just mere moments ago she'd wanted nothing more than for him to come and get her. She heard her sisters shouting for her as well, but she ignored them too.

Unfortunately (or perhaps not) Suiseiseki had much shorter legs than Jun did, and thus he was soon able to catch her and grab hold of her. He lifted her up, and she could feel his breath on the back of her neck, each gasp of air coming fast. Suiseiseki tried to wriggle free, her legs kicking out in an effort to force herself out of his grasp.

"Ah! L-Let go, you!"

"Stop that!" Jun pleaded, holding her tight. Finally the doll ceased, her energy spent. Exhausted, she hung limply in Jun's arms, her head so full of thoughts and feelings that she didn't know what she wanted to do. Jun turned her around and held her up so that they were face to face. "Suiseiseki, what the hell were you doing out here all by yourself? It's dangerous!"

"Shut up, you! It is so none of your business!" the doll snapped back. Part of her wanted Jun to let go of her so she could run away, and another part of her wished he would hug her. Why did she have to feel so conflicted?

"Suiseiseki-" Jun began. She interrupted him, making another feeble effort to struggle free.

"Put me down! I will free you from our covenant and then you will never have to see me ever again! I'll be just fine by myself."

Jun swallowed, finally getting some of his breath back. His soft brown eyes bored into the doll in his hands, struggling to try and understand her, yet completely failing. "How can you say that? We're all worried about you, Suiseiseki."

The doll's only response was to futilely try and punch and kick Jun, and this was what Shinku and the others saw when they finally caught up to the pair. Shinku sighed.

"As I suspected, nothing has changed."

Hinaichigo stood at her side, hands pressed together worriedly as she watched Suiseiseki with a deeply concerned expression on her face. "Suiseiseki, why are you so angry?"

Jun finally gave up trying to hold on to the struggling doll and set her down on the ground. She immediately scurried back from him as he gestured towards her. "Suiseiseki, wait! We have to talk!"

She shook her head, tears splashing from the corners of her eyes. "S-Shut up! I so do not want to talk with the likes of you!"

Jun wasn't about to give up, not with everything Shinku and Souseiseki had been telling him. He lowered his hands and forced himself to stay put, even though he wanted to approach her and try to comfort her. Clenching his hands at his sides in frustration instead, he tried to convey his intent with his eyes instead. "Please just listen to me! I want to tell you that I-"

Before he could finish, the ground trembled and shook, and a moment later a row of violet crystals erupted in front of them, tearing out of the ground like glittering spikes. Fireflies scattered in all directions and Jun was nearly knocked off his feet. Suiseiseki cried out in surprise and alarm, and the other dolls were likewise caught off guard.

"I have you ..." said a soft spoken and all-too familiar voice. They all turned to see Barasuishou floating a dozen feet away, a faint smirk on her lips. She tilted her head forwards by a tiny fraction, and at the same instant another mass of crystal spikes exploded from the ground, this time pinning Souseiseki in place.

"Souseiseki!" Suiseiseki cried out, extending a hand uselessly towards her trapped twin. Souseiseki struggled to free herself, but there was simply not enough room to move. She was boxed in.

"No ... good! I can't get ... out!" she breathed between clenched teeth, her efforts futile. Suiseiseki summoned her watering can and aimed it towards her.

"Just hold on! I'll save you!"

"Don't!" Souseiseki shot back, "Just run!"

Glowing water from the Gardener's watering can summoned up a host of thick plant tendrils, which wrapped themselves around the crystals imprisoning Souseiseki. As much as they strained to break them however, they couldn't. It was no use. Meanwhile the other dolls were trying to attack Barasuishou, who was effortlessly shielding herself from their projectiles. The seventh doll called up more crystals from the ground, which tore through Suiseiseki's vines and very nearly pinned her to a tree.

"Aaahh!" she yelled, narrowly avoiding impalement. Jun clutched at his hand, which was burning from the heat of his rose ring. Hinaichigo was forced to dive for cover to avoid a shower of crystal shards fired at her.

"Hinaichigo, take care!" Shinku called out to the little doll. Hina whimpered and scurried away before Barasuishou could take another shot at her. The seventh doll narrowed her eye at her assembled opponents, although perhaps 'victims' might be a better word under the circumstances.

"You cannot escape," she coldly informed them. Shinku sailed up onto a crystal protruding from the ground and slashed at the air with her cane.

"We must split up!" she insisted, "We are too much of an easy target together like this." She flinched as she deflected a storm of shards fired at her, but noticed Jun make it over to Suiseiseki.

"I so do not understand, why is my power not strong enough to fight her this time?" the Gardener doll wondered as Jun grabbed a hold of her. She noticed the rose ring on his finger, which was glowing with a fierce crimson light. He was giving power to Shinku just fine, so why not her? He was her Medium, so what was wrong?

"Jun! Take Suiseiseki and run!" Shinku commanded, "I will hold her off for the moment!"

"Shinku!" Jun called out to her, holding Suiseiseki in his arms. He couldn't just leave her and the others - Barasuishou was far too dangerous. They all needed to escape. Unfortunately he didn't have much choice when a wall of crystals rose up before him, cutting him off from Shinku. He searched about frantically for some sign of Hina or Souseiseki, but saw nothing. Reluctantly, Jun turned and ran deeper into the forest, away from the raging battle.


	5. Heart to Heart

Last chapter! I thought there was another one after this, but there wasn't. So there you have it. All of this was based off Suiseiseki's drama CD, except for the very last bit at the end. I added that myself ... just 'cause I felt like it. Thanks for reading! Tune in next time for a story based on Hina's drama CD. Unyuu!

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><p><strong>Covenant<strong>

Part 5

Heart to Heart

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><p>Jun came to a stop inside what appeared to be an old ruined structure. Grey stone blocks shrouded in ivy and foliage, half crumbled, with towering pillars supporting what was left of the whole thing. Jun dropped to his knees amidst it all, huffing and puffing from exertion, Suiseiseki still curled up in his arms.<p>

"We should be safe for now," he managed to say after a moments rest. Suiseiseki was not reassured.

"Safe? None of us are safe as long as that crazy doll is after us!"

Jun didn't know what to say. Barasuishou seemed determined to fight her sisters in the Alice Game, even more so than Suigintou had been. At least Suigintou was fixated on just Shinku, and would sometimes overlook the others as a result, but Barasuishou ... she looked set to take them all on. And win.

"Listen," Jun set Suiseiseki down on the ground and laid his hands on her shoulders, his expression earnest, "About before ... I want to say sorry."

"Huh?" she blinked at him, not understanding. Which was the crux of the problem, really. Jun inhaled sharply, his cheeks still flushed from the effort of running through the dark forest.

"You made those cupcakes just for me. I didn't realize. I'm sorry for what I said. I ..." Jun hesitated, finding it difficult to come outright and say what needed to be said, yet he forced himself to regardless, "I really appreciate it, Suiseiseki. That was a really nice thing you did."

Suiseiseki gawped at him, utterly astonished to hear him say such a thing. "Jun ..."

Jun sighed and lowered his head. "I know I'm probably not the best Medium you could hope for, but I ... I promise to make more of an effort to understand you. Just give me a chance, okay?"

Suiseiseki felt her conflicting feelings shift abruptly in one direction, and as she welled up inside with emotion, she flung herself at Jun and hugged him tightly. Tears of joy spilled onto her cheeks, and as they did so both Jun and Suiseiseki's rose rings glowed with a magnificent emerald green light.

They pulled away and stared at their respective rings, and whilst Jun was puzzled by this display, Suiseiseki was not. She understood now that her conflicted feelings and doubts had been preventing her from drawing strength from her Medium as she should. With those doubts laid to rest, she could already feel the energy from Jun empowering her, giving her the strength she would need to fight.

"There you are," said Barasuishou. They turned to see her drift gently down into the ruins, a faint corona of light surrounding her. She smirked arrogantly at them, her single amber eye staring fixedly at them both. "You cannot escape ... the Alice Game."

Jun stood and faced the sinister doll, Suiseiseki at his side. She glowed with power of her own, and this time her mismatching gaze was strong and defiant. She summoned her watering can and readied herself for battle.

"Jun! Let's fight her, together!"

Jun glanced sideways at her and nodded in understanding. Barasuishou snorted lightly at their evident confidence, which she clearly believed to be misplaced. She gestured at the pair, causing them both to be engulfed in a massive crystal prison, light reflecting off its multi-faceted surface. She smiled for a moment, but her victory was short lived. Her crystal cage shook and trembled, cracks appearing from within it. A blinding green light poured through these cracks, and a few seconds later the entire thing exploded into a million tiny fragments.

Jun stood behind Suiseiseki, protectively sheltering her with his glowing ring. He pulled back just as the Gardener doll shot forwards, blazing with energy.

"Sui Dream!"

Her artificial spirit sailed through the air towards Barasuishou, where it gave off an all-encompassing light of unmatched radiance, like an emerald supernova. Barasuishou tried to shield her eye from the intense glare, but found herself wrapped in a thick mass of plant vines, holding her fast.

"Haha!" Suiseiseki laughed triumphantly, "What do you think of my power? I so have you trapped now!"

Barasuishou scowled as Sui Dream's blinding light faded. She certainly did not seem impressed.

"Useless ... it is useless to fight me."

There was a burst of violet energy so fierce that it vapourized the vines holding her in place and sent a strong gust of air shooting across the interior of the ruins, prompting Jun and Suiseiseki to throw up their arms reflexively. As it subsided the seventh doll stood before them, unharmed and unhindered, another faint smile playing across her stoic face.

"You see?"

Despite this apparent setback, Suiseiseki was not perturbed. Far from it. She chuckled at her twisted sister, supremely confident.

"You may be strong, but you're as dumb as that puny Ichigo - you weren't my target, _that_ was!" she pointed behind Barasuishou, who took a chance and glanced over her shoulder. Her eye widened with surprise to see that a second set of vines were wrapped around one of the support pillars. Now it was Jun who smirked.

"Guess what happens if that column gets destroyed?"

Barasuishou didn't get a chance to answer, because a moment later the vines tore the stone column apart, causing what remained of the roof to cave in and burry her under a pile of rubble. When the dust had settled, Suiseiseki cackled with glee and bounded over to Jun.

"Am I good, or am I good?" she asked, grinning happily. Jun gestured to her.

"You're good," he admitted. Suiseiseki smiled shyly.

"_We're_ good," she corrected him. Her eyes then widened in alarm as they both heard the sound of stone grinding against stone, and she turned to see heavy blocks tumbling aside. To their utter astonishment a violet-clothed arm emerged and Barasuishou clambered out of the rubble.

"You gotta be _kidding_ me!" Jun breathed, not believing what he was seeing. Despite this impressive feat, Barasuishou looked slightly shaken, her dress crumpled and covered in dust.

"Hmph," she said, and vanished in a flash of light. Suiseiseki stuck her hands on her hips in apparent annoyance.

"I so don't believe it - she ran away! Well it's just as well; if she'd stuck around I'm certain we could have finished her off once and for all!"

Jun sagged, tired and weary from the energy drain. He wiped his arm across his forehead and sighed heavily. "C'mon, lets just get out of here."

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><p>Thankfully the others were unharmed, as Barasuishou had decided to leave them in pursuit of the doll that had slowed her down the most during their first battle together. They were a little surprised though to see Suiseiseki in such good spirits.<p>

"Suiseiseki, you're not mad anymore?" Hinaichigo asked carefully.

"Well that is a relief," Shinku said brightly, her blue eyes sparkling at Jun with mild amusement.

"I'm glad you're okay," Souseiseki hugged her sister, "What about Barasuishou?"

Suiseiseki giggled mischievously at her twin, hands clasped together. "Oh don't worry about her; Jun and I thrashed her so soundly that we brought the house down." She spun around to face Jun, a wide smile on her face now. "Hey Jun, when we get back why don't we have some of you-know-what?

Jun stared at her blankly, not catching her meaning. "Huh? What'dya mean?"

"What? I mean some of _that_. You know! _That!_"

Jun pressed a hand to the side of his head and squinted at her. "What are you talking about? I don't understand."

Suiseiseki bristled at his inability to know what she meant. "You mean you still ... I thought after that battle that you would be able to know what I ... Grrr!" she barred her teeth at him and delivered a sharp kick to his shin. "I SWEAR! You are so completely hopeless!"

Jun clutched at his shin and hopped on the spot, eyes watering from the pain. "Aahh! Stop hitting me you pretentious demonic doll!"

"Puny empty-headed buffoon!" Suiseiseki kicked his _other_ shin, causing him to crumple to the ground in a crying heap. Meanwhile Hinaichigo whimpered and covered her eyes.

"Unyuu! Not again!"

Shinku sighed. "Truly, both are equally as childish ..."

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><p>The following day Suiseiseki pushed open the living room door and strolled through, yawning widely. She'd overslept and everyone else was already up. Shinku and Hinaichigo were sitting on the couch watching TV together. She glanced about for some sign of Jun or Nori, but there was none.<p>

"Morning," Suiseiseki mumbled tiredly, "Where are the humans?"

"They departed over an hour ago," Shinku answered, not taking her eyes off the television set, "Jun left you something on the kitchen table."

Suiseiseki blinked and had to repeat Shinku's words over in her mind several times until she understood them. When she finally did, she frowned with suspicion and clambered up into one of the kitchen chairs. Once up she laid her hands on the table and stared at the thing waiting there.

It was a plate full of still-warm cupcakes, just like the ones she had made yesterday. There was a small card resting against the side of the plate. With wide-eyed astonishment she grabbed it and peered at the words written on it by Jun. As she did so, she smiled warmly, her cheeks flushed red with heat. She giggled and set the card down, before happily tucking into one of the cupcakes. It was delicious.

Written on the card was a short message. It said:

_~ From one heart to another ~_


End file.
